Crypto Super PACs have amassed $102 million in funds ahead of the US elections to advocate for candidates supportive of the industry, according to a report by Public Citizen.

Approximately $54 million originates from direct corporate contributions, notably from industry giants Coinbase and Ripple Labs.

Individual contributions from crypto executives and venture capitalists also bolster this war chest, with notable amounts including $11 million from Andreessen Horowitz founders, $5 million from Gemini exchange founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and $1 million from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.

However, these financial maneuvers have been accompanied by scrutiny, as four of the eight corporate donors are entangled in legal disputes with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over alleged securities violations.

The Public Citizen’s report highlights the impact of crypto super PACs on primary elections, noting that of the six concluded races they intervened in, only one crypto-backed candidate faced defeat. Eleven primary contests featuring such candidates are ongoing, and plans are underway to allocate resources to general election Senate races in pivotal states like Ohio and Montana.

Armstrong pitches Robinhood

Meanwhile, Armstrong encouraged Robinhood to focus more on supporting pro-crypto candidates. He added that Coinbase does this through the crypto sector’s largest super PAC, Fairshake Political Action Committee, and StandWithCrypto.org.

On May 6, Robinhood revealed that the SEC served its crypto unit a Wells Notice. In response, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev criticized the financial regulator’s approach to the emerging industry, noting that it harms businesses and consumers.

He said:

“The SEC’s continued attack on crypto, coupled with recent rule proposals like the one related to predictive data analytics, mark yet another improper attempt by the administrative state to stifle innovation.”

The SEC’s scrutiny of Robinhood is a surprise, given the company’s track record of regulatory compliance. In 2023, Robinhood took Solana, Polygon, and Cardano off its listings after the SEC labeled them as securities in a legal dispute against other crypto firms.

Despite this, Robinhood has encountered obstacles in registering its crypto services with the SEC. The regulator’s argument hinges on cryptocurrencies being classified as securities, necessitating entities dealing with them to register as brokers and clearing agencies.

Nonetheless, Robinhood’s Chief Legal Officer, Dan Gallagher, vehemently contested that the cryptocurrencies on its platform qualify as securities.

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Arianee, a popular platform that helps big brands to tokenize all forms of assets and leverage the potential of NFTs, closed its latest $21 million fundraising round in recent days.

The reason for the success of Arianee’s latest fundraising round

Arianee is a lending NFT platform that helps big brands to enter the Web 3.0 world.

Arianee emerges as a real bridge, a perfect mediator that allows big companies to embrace the new opportunities that blockchain offers because, as many say, this is the biggest opportunity since the arrival of the internet.

It shows big companies the new rules of the game, the new implications and goals that these tools allow us to achieve.

This platform not only helps big brands to tokenize their assets, but also explores all the potential uses of Non-Fungible Tokens, arriving at a new vision of CRM and marketing.

Precisely for this reason, the project has been labeled as – “pioneer of NFT utility”.

Luxury brands can utilize NFTs in different ways.

Non-Fungible Tokens can certainly prove the authenticity and ownership of a physical asset, thus tracking the product at all times even when it is resold, but also function effectively as digital membership cards, providing access to exclusive communities, events, sales, drops or time-based privileges. 

This mechanism is called – token-gated; ownership of a token unlocks exclusive benefits that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Moreover, since everything on the blockchain is public and it is possible for brands to know who owns the tokens, the company can think about sending free or personalized gadgets directly to users’ wallets. 

This gives brands a new way to expand the product ecosystem and interact with the community on an individual level. 

Owning an NFT thus transforms shoppers into investors, club members and stakeholders.

The $21 million fundraiser

Arianee announced today that it has raised, with its second round of fundraising, approximately $20 million.

An outstanding milestone that the platform has reached!

The funding round was led by Tiger Global.

Investors who have renewed their support include Bpifrance, ISAI, Cygni Labs and Noia Capital. They were then also joined by Commerce Venture and Motier Ventures.

The platform currently has over 50 customers and partners, including IBM and the metaverse The Sandbox.

With this new funding round, Arianee is looking to accelerate its international presence by growing its New York office and recruiting new talent to continue the development of its products and services.

Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel, CEO and co-founder of Arianee, comments on this great milestone: 

“We are thrilled to welcome one of the most influential global investors to our journey and to see our historical partners continue to back us. The structure of the investment in both equity & $ARIA20 token shows how a diverse global range of investors, from Bpifrance to Tiger Global, is willing to invest on open source and SaaS web3 solutions. 

Web3 is eating the world and we believe brands can leverage this revolution to regain control of their digital presence. We also want to build for each and every user and not just for a minority. This requires robust and seamless tools and interfaces allowing communities to move from one world to another, from physical to digital to immersive”.

Griffin Schroder of Tiger Global stated: 

“As a web3 pioneer, Arianee has developed innovative solutions that are reinventing customer relationship management. We are excited to support Arianee’s development and believe they are well positioned to become a leading global web3 solution for brands”.

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Jennifer Esposito, a famous American actress, is launching these days a new model of fundraising aimed at the creation of a feature film.

In conjunction with her directorial debut, Jennifer, in fact, has offered an exclusive sale of NFT to raise funds for her next film – “FRESH KILLS.” 

NFT for fundraising

The actress has partnered with award-winning NFT artist Gala Mirissa to create a collection for her upcoming film.

NFTs will be available on OpenSea starting tomorrow, Wednesday, January 26, through Friday, January 28.

The NFT collection “FRESH KILLS,” which takes the same name as Esposito’s film, combines kinetic visual art with original music based on the powerful script of the film itself.

Alexander Bercow, Art partnership manager at OpenSea, commented on the event as follows: 

“NFTs are at the forefront of a cultural and artistic revolution. Projects like Esposito’s are just the tip of the spear at disrupting the traditional film industry by democratizing access to production funds and offering new ways for filmmakers to interact and connect with fans”.

Real golden tickets for fans 

It is necessary to add that with the purchase of non-fungible tokens, the buyer will receive a unique piece of digital art and have the possibility to enjoy other benefits. 

The NFTs of “FRESH KILLS” will, in fact, include benefits such as: 

• credits from the executive producer; 
• invitations to premiers; 
• visits to the set;
• a cameo in the film.

 

Jennifer Esposito and producers Alexis Varouxakis and Christine Crokos have adopted a new funding model, and “FRESH KILLS” will become the first feature film to be owned by a global fan base.

The potential of NFT 

Once again, Jennifer’s initiative gives us confirmation of the infinite potentialities and fields of application of non-fungible tokens. 

NFTs not only democratize the art world in the strict sense of the word; they not only allow emerging artists to make their way into the crowd but also give voice to fans who want to contribute in some way to the success of the films. 

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